The New=Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 472, 23 October 1850, Page 2

The New=Zealander.

Bo just and fo.ir not . Let nil tlio ends fiou amis'i at, be Ihy Country's, 'illy (ioi/s, and Tmti.'b.

WKDNES I) AY, OCTOBER 23, 18 50.

In llie whole course of oui experience, which various accidental circumstances have com"bined to lender rather extensive, we do not recollect a single instance in which a Reply from the Head of a Government department gave more general satisfaction than the Letter from the Governor-in-Ciiiff published in our ]ast number has given to our local public. We have heaid, on all hands, and from men of almost eveiy shade of political opinion, full testimony borne to its ingenuousness and honourable frankness. When theie has been any demur it has aiisen rather fiom those preconceived piejudices against Sir George Giiey which it has been attempted by most unscrupulous means to implant and foster here, than from anything in the communication itself. Ceiiain questions of uigent piactical importance to the community of Auckland were proposed : and it is admitted by all whose views on the subject we have been able to ascertain — (and we have not confined our enqtuiies to any one class or paity) that had the persons who put those questions been peinutted to wiite in their own words a contradiction of the injuiious rumour which had prevailed for home days le&pecting a liansfer of the seat of government fiom Auckland, and had Ills Excuxrncy engaged to sign his name to such a denial of the tiuth of that rumour as they might diaw up, nothing moie explicit or unequivocal than the statements in the Keply could have been dictated by themselves. We cannot but expicss our conviction that had a similar course been pursued in ether cases, the result would have been similar. As we obseived in a founer lefcience to this subject, no

Government can leasonably be expected to answer every question which euiiosity or captiousness may suggest. Cogent public reasons may frequently impose a necessity for reserve which factious or linpeifcctly informed persons may construe into uncandid or selfinlcrested secrecy. To be so misunderstood or misiepiesented is one of those tiials which public men must make up their minds to endure, until they can live them down. We may add, it was still less]to be expected that]a Govhinor would stoop to coirectfal.se statements which were circulated through the press in connexion with such personal vituperation of himself as no gentleman could condescend to deal with — except he should think fit to make it matter of an action for libel. But we are sati.sh>d that upon any matter really affecting the public welfare, it was only necessary that Sir George Grky should be applied to as he has been in this instance, to secure an equally satisfactory answer. We know of instances in which the efficacy of such a mode of application has been tried and proved ; and we trust that one good result amongst many arising out of the conespondence will be to impiessthe public mind with the fact that, on every proper occasion, His Excr llkncy — so far from shrouding the affaiis of his Government in impenetrable mysteiy — is willing to go even to the verge of the limits which his official obligations and the interests of the public seivice prescribe, in order to give the colonists any information leally tending to the settlement of their minds on affairs of practical moment, or the true elevation and advancement of the colony. The rumour respecting the removal of the Seat of Government fiom Auckland being conclusively set at icst, the important question of the introduction of Repiesentative Institutions remained. That also might have been regarded as settled by the Governor's explicit statement in his Letter, taken in connexion with vaiious poitions of his published Despatches. It appears, however that, unequivocal as the Avoids must seem to any oidinary reader, they did not satisfy the paity (be the same moie or less) of whose opinions, feelings, and tastes, our contemporary may be deemed the congenial and sympathising exponent. Yesterday's Southern Cross contains upwatds of five moital columns of extracts and original matter all designed to llnow disciedit on Sir Glorge Grey's positive asseition — to stimulate our fellow -townsmen to sign a petition to Parliament for Representative Institutions (which has been assiduously hawked about for some days patt) — and to warn them against being " lulled into apathetic and fatal indifference" by "the assurance given by His Excellency the Governor." Ifs and huts, hypotheses and doubts are suggested in abundance ; the conclusion to which it is obviously designed to conduct the reader being that his Excellency's Letter affords no evidence whatever on which the public can place any reliance, that Representative Institutions are about to be granted — at least to the Noithern Province. " Rest ! Rest ! Perturbed Spirit !" Theie is such a giatincation in removing distressing doubts, and in pacifying anxious feelings that we cannot but experience an agreeable titillation in ourorgan of Benevolence, (as ourfnends the Phrenologists would say,) as we think of the soothing and balmy influence which our columns this morning will shed over the distracted patriotism of our coutemporaiy. He will perhaps admit that, for once at least, we can furnish an answer to his objections against the Government, —an answer, which if it should not satisfy himself, and his immediate political circle, will satisfy nearly every one else in the community. We have the pleasure ov publishing the praft of a Bill which the Governor-in-cliief will present for adoption at the approaching meeting ok council, to provide FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF REPRESENTATIVE InSTITUIIONS, INTO BOTH PIIOYINCES, ON A SCALE OF LARGE LIBERALITY, AND AT THE EARLIEST PERIOD AT WHICH THE INDISPENSABLE DETAILS CONNECIED WITH THE ACTUAL WORKING OF THE MEASURE CAN BE ARRANGED. The diaft came into our possession only a few hours before it was necessary that this aiticle should be in the printer's hands, and it would therefore be presumptuous were we to pronounce dogmatically on all the points, included a measure of so much impoitance and comprehensiveness. We cannot lefrain, however,from giving immediate and decided expiessionto our sense of the great liberality, — the expansive spirit of concession to popular rights and claims, — in which it has manifestly been framed. This appeals, amongst other proofs, 1. — hi the constitution of the 'proj)osed Councils : — two thirds of die members are to be elected, — only one-third nominated. — 2. It appears also, in the extent of the franchise. This is substantially the same with that recommended by Sir Gkorge Grey in the despatch published in the last New Yicalandcr. Every man (aliens and convicts only excepted) who possesses afieeholdof the value ol £50, or who occupies a house within ihe limits of a town of the value of £10, or without such limits of the value of £5, or who has 1 a leaseholder's estate in possession of the value of £10 will be entitled to vole. And it appears (3) in the qualification of membeis, — the very wide giound heie taken

being that of admitting as eligible foi membership any man possessing the moderate qualifications entitling him to vote as an elector. This ground is yet farther widened by the proposition ihat it shall not bo necessary that the candidate for membership reside or possess the required qualifications within the particular distuct for which he may be elected to serve as member. There is here as near an appioach to Universal Suffrage as could well be made without absolutely oidaining it in terms ; and we presume the most ultra-liberal politician can scaicely desiie that the qualification for membership should be fixed on a broader basis than that here laid down. Equally satisfactory arc (he proposed enactments respecting the time at which this Representative system is to come into actual operation. There is no attempt at evasion or reserve on this point, The Ordinance is to come into operation, so far as relates to the Piovinces of New Ulster and New Minister, immediately on its becoming law ; and the Wiits for the election must be issued at the latest within twelve months after the passing of tins Ordinance. As sonic time must necessaiily be occupied in the working out of the plan, especially in the registration of electois, it is quite evident that the intention is to give it piactical effect with the least possible delay. We congratulate our fellow- colonists on this prospect 'of the speedy attainment of an object which they have long and justly sought for. We congratulate them not the less because there has been on the part of the Govi-'R-nor-in-Chief a delay -which, we are now more than ever peisuaded, did not aiise from any disinclination on his part to place the colony in the most elevated attitude of fieedom, but fiom a prudent and praisewoilhy desire that when the alteiation was made, it should be made efficiently — on a well-consi-dered plan, such as that we have to-day the high giatilication of making known to the public. *

By the Moa, which arrived in our harbour yesteiclay evening, we have Sydney papers to the 11 th instant; but they contain no news of public inlciest. Indeed we have rarely had an auival so ban en of intelligence, As respects English news, there is nothing later than that received by the Phoenician which has aheady appeared in our columns. The Sydney Herald gives some of the details of the discussion on the Austialian Colonies Bill in committee of the Loids ; and it gives, in double numbers, an ample leport of the discussion in the Legislative Council of New South Wales on the Transportation Question (the right issue of which we have already published) ; but it contains nothing which could induce us to displace any of our pieviously prepared matter, — nothing which will suffer materially by being kept by us for some more open day.

Mechanics' iNsnrirm — Last evening Mr. llkai'iiey delivered his Lecture on " Modern Discoveries in Astronomy," which had been postponed from Monday week on account of the unpiopitiousness of the weather, lie dealt upon the subject in an interesting manner, illustrating his observations by seveial striking diagrams and other drawings. We thank Mr. Smith for kindly furnishing us with a list of the contributions to be foiwarded fiom Auckland to the Grand Exhibition of 1851, — but it reached us at an hour when we could not possibly find room for it in our piesent number.